Dino's Famous Chicken, Preen Inc.

Project: Dino's Famous Chicken
Award: Hospitality Interiors - Restaurants & Cafe's, Small Practice (Under 20 Employees), 2024
Location: Los Angeles, United States
Design Practice: Preen Inc.
Client: Dino's Famous Chicken

Preen Inc’s redesign for Dino’s Famous Chicken, a family-owned restaurant in Los Angeles’ Latino-Byzantine quarter, updates and elevates the space while paying tribute to the family legacy behind it.
The practice developed a simple palette that referenced an older version of the restaurant’s tile colours in sepia and chartreuse, evoking a late 60s, early 70s nostalgia. 

It augmented the classic, single-storey building with a chic breeze block overhang in a mid-century style to complement the vintage marquee signage that harkens back to historic Southern California roadside attractions. Outdoor seating has been appointed with classic aluminium patio umbrellas. Two order windows make for a seamless transition from daytime hours to night.

“Pulling the community in to support the project was an important part of the process. The challenge was to elevate the existing beloved chicken and burger joint by redesigning the interior and updating the exterior to empower our client to continue being a neighbourhood beacon, not only serving patrons but their community at large,” the design practice said.

Design highlights

Indoor seating features booths with swag lighting, and a second street-side window welcomes traffic from the busy sidewalk. Neon strip lighting lines the eaves with buttery yellow interior tiles that create a warm glow that spills on to the street. Named for their patriarch and nodding to a restaurant steeped in history, Dino’s Famous Chicken family photos, both old and new, hang on the wall and tell a thoughtful family story.